With the Internet resources today, interviews and reports
are much more compelling and a whole lot easier to research and write. When I
first started my business in 1994, doing background preparation for a CEO
speech or a major profile was like going down a blind alley on the Internet. It
took hours, involved looking at horsey typeface (typically multi-colored and
different fonts), had few if any decent pictures, and often led to dead-ends.
What's the story behind these newlyweds? (Photo by Liz Cezat) |
Now there’s Google and other snappy search engines that take
you where you want to go in a matter of seconds. In preparation for interviews,
I typically “google” the person or subject to supplement what I already know.
It is through this compilation of written reports and YouTube videos that I
gather the kernels of questions I will ask the interviewee.
Aside from my own curiosity, I am guided in my writing by
the audience of the newsletter, magazine or report. What do the readers want to
know about this person or topic?
If they are donors, they often want to know what motivates a
philanthropist to donate to a specific cause. Was there an incident in their childhood
that caused them to favor a certain nonprofit organization as an adult? Did one
of their children sustain a debilitating injury or chronic illness that changed
the family’s life? Readers are also curious about the type of business or
investments that enable a philanthropist to be a major supporter of an
organization.
For alumni publications read by both recent graduates and older
alumni, learning about a fellow alum’s path to success is always of interest.
Poignant stories that tell of a special relationship connect with readers emotionally.
Did the couple elope at 18 in order to leave the country and start a new restaurant chain that made them multi-millionaries? Reports about how an individual overcame adversity or seized an opportunity
make for riveting reading.
I try to ferret out the unique aspects of an individual and
that typically comes out during the actual interview. Thus, I must be alert to
where the conversation is going if it strays from my set questions. If the
thread of the interview takes me to a new place, I tend to explore it. That
thread may reveal information that makes the finished article much different
than it otherwise would have been. Whenever possible, I also ask colleagues or
friends of the individual for insight into his/her personality, actions or
achievements.
Let me know if you have a topic or individual that your
organization or business wants to highlight in a newsletter, blog, magazine or
special report. I’d be happy to do the research and writing.